Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Witnessing to Mormons

In looking through some of my old files I came across some information that I had from a year and a half old Pyromanaics Blog Site. It is worth noting since we deal with this issue here in Utah all the time. How do I witness to a Mormon? Well first you start in the natural, then swing to the spiritual. Once that conversation has begun you can then start taking them through the law.... it is important at this point to make sure that you define terms with Mormons since they have adapted Christian terminology as their own. Define for them repentance, Christianity see points below, faith, trust and most importantly who Jesus Christ is. The uncreated God in the Flesh Col 2:9. Here are some other points to draw distinction.
Mormonism is pseudo-Christianity. Here is an excerpt from http://phillipjohnson.blogspot.com/2005/09/peddling-mormonism-as-mainstream.html

In the eight years since his meeting with Dr. Millet, MacArthur has often summarized his concerns about Mormonism by pointing out four significant, unbridgeable chasms between Mormonism and authentic biblical Christianity. Here, in writing, is MacArthur's own list of four foundational truths where Mormons and evangelicals take perfectly incompatible positions. (This list is routinely sent to people who ask about MacArthur's stance on Mormonism).

1. The issue of authority. Christians believe the Bible is God's authoritative, inerrant, unchanging and complete self-revelation (Jude 3). Scripture is the touchstone to which all other truth-claims must be brought (Isaiah 8:20). The sole and sufficient authority by which all controversies in spiritual matters are to be determined is none other than God's Spirit speaking through Scripture.
By contrast, Mormons consider The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants as additional authoritative revelation, thereby undermining the true authority of Scripture and violating the principle of Revelation 22:18.
2. The doctrine of God. Christians believe there is one God who eternally exists in three co-equal Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Mormons reject the doctrine of the Trinity, believing that there are many worlds controlled by different gods.
3. The supremacy of Christ. Christians believe Jesus Christ is pre-existent God who became a man in His incarnation while maintaining His full deity.
Mormons claim Jesus was a "spirit child" of Mary and Elohim (and the brother of Lucifer) who has now been elevated to the level of deity.
4. The means of justification. Christians believe justification is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Mormons believe a person's works in this life will determine his or her status in the life to come, and that "salvation" is actually a progression toward godhood.

Once the distinction has been made and you take them through the Law and what Jesus did for them apart from anything they can do, then leave them with the "tiebreaker". It is a modified Pascal's wager that we use that simply says this. If Mormonism is right and Christianity is wrong then no big deal we get to go to the Terrestial Kingdom for Eternity, which Joesph Smith said you would kill yourself to go to. If the Bible is right and Mormonism is wrong the Bible says you will go to Hell for ever to be infinitely punished by an infinitely Holy and perfect God. I then tell them they need to make sure that their faith in Joesph Smith is sound and based on solid principles, not feelings.

Finally I love this excerpt on having a dialogue with Mormons from John Macarthur,
"When I met with Robert Millet I expressed my conviction as clearly as possible that the God of the Bible is a completely different God from the god of Mormonism, that the Christ of Scripture is a wholly different Christ from the christ of Mormonism, and the true gospel is a radically different gospel from the gospel of Mormonism.
I have maintained a cordial relationship with Dr. Millet for the sake of the truth, and am happy to provide him with as much of my material as he wishes to read. But my concern is for the truth; I'm not interested in artificial harmony between two contradictory faiths. For that reason I have consistently made clear in all my dialogue with Dr. Millet that there is no spiritual common ground between biblical Christianity and Mormonism.
I would never deliberately equivocate on the truth or do anything that might lend credence to Mormonism. I'm convinced (as are all who understand Scripture accurately) that Mormonism is a false religion, generated by Satan. It is a damnable heresy, and in the words of Paul, "a different gospel," under God's anathema."

Here is the original post

Do you think John was being too Politically Correct here? :)

3 Comments:

Lyricsdad said...

I absolutely love the comment by Macarthur. There would be such a difference in this state alone if more "ministries" would take the time to see the damage their pandering to deception does. Standing together with those who are perishing and therefore giving them a false sense of hope is tantamount to pushing them into the flames. It is due time more of the Body in this state takes a stand for the things they give lip service to. We are a deadened, lukewarm Laodicean church that is in dire jeopardy of being spewed forth from the Lord's mouth. If even fifty percent of the professing Christians of this town were truly concerned with the lost enough to open their mouths and speak the truth, we would see the revival that so many claim to want so badly, but not enough to be part of it happening.

Weston Krogstadt said...

Check out shawnmccraney.blogspot.com to learn more about witnessing to mormons.

Andy said...

Wow, and you kiss your mother with that mouth?

Typical